Thursday, March 28, 2024

Government closes Evelyn Hone College

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Evelyn Hone College Students running away from Zambia Police riot squad
FILE: Evelyn Hone College Students running away from Zambia Police riot squad

Education Minister John Phiri has announced the immediate closure of Evelyn Hone College following student protests at the institution.

Dr. Phiri told a media briefing that the institution shall be closed for two weeks to allow for repairs to the damaged infrastructure at the college.

He has since given students up to Friday 10am to leave the institution.

“I would have given them up to 18hrs today but I thought tomorrow mid morning would be ideal,” he said.

“I have also asked the Minister of Home Affairs to beef up security around the College tonight to ensure peace.”

Dr. Phiri also revealed that an estimated K540, 000 worth of property was damaged in the student riots.

He also revealed that out of the 70 students picked up so far in connection with the rights, 45 were female and 25 are male.

Dr. Phiri said the students have been nabbed to help police with investigations and vowed that the due process of the law will be allowed to take its course.
He emphasized that those found guilty after prosecution will be dealt with following the College’s internal disciplinary code.

The Education Minister has charged that government suspects that students are being incited to riot by elements outside the institution.

Dr. Phiri warned that government will deal decisively with all external influences that will be found guilty of inciting students to riot.

“All these external influences that are inciting students that they should now celebrating the wanton destructions they have caused to Evelyn Hone. Let them also prepare to take the students on board because some of them will lose their places,” Dr Phiri added.

He advised students to cherish their lives as students saying it is a once in a life time opportunity to better their lives.

“As much as education is a universal right, in Zambia education is a privilege and the students should cherish this privilege.”

The students today demonstrated against government’s failure to place them on bursaries and improve the poor sanitation standards at the institution.

62 COMMENTS

    • It is not yet enshrined in your constitution for it to be enforced though it is recognised in the UN declaration of human rights. This is what the minister is telling you in other terms. Mulebelenga baice so that you do not mislead yourselves.

    • Actually, closure of this institution is long overdue – not because of students riots, but for being such an eyesore. The main building along church road and that small house at the corner of the perimeter wall are rotten and falling apart.

  1. Please make sure they pay for property damages! Students do not behave like that when they have issues with their parents at home so one wonders why they behave like animals when in College or University. Sanity must prevail!!

  2. donot worry kids school is closed, go home,,,governmrnt is making plans… there is alot of space for you along cairo and other roads around the country for you to set up utuntemba,,, Viva job creation

  3. So what have they achieved? nothing accept they are the ones at a loss, really wonder the IQ of some of these chaps, thats why it’s important to understand the reason your parents send you to school individually, some of you following the wind where it blows will remain stagnant while those with parents who can afford a better life for you have options, so sad.

    • what do you expect from dunder heads. let them pay through there already blocked nose and they ll never do stu pid things again. let every student pay K5000 so that balapile. please bwana Phiri dont use my tax contribution to repair the college.

  4. SHAME…THESE CHAPS ARE VERY UNREASONABLE. PLEASE BA MINISTER THOSE FOUND QUILTY DEAL WITH THEM ACCORDINGLY.

  5. This is crazy, Hone students fighting for bursaries? I think it is a well known fact in Zambia that GRZ bursaries have always been given to University Students (UNZA &CBU) with the exception of Mulungushi University which from its establishment Mwanawasa made it clear that it was meant for those with cash. What has been the motivating factors for Grade 12s has been to go to University and get a bursaries. If these Hone students are given bursaries, how many colleges do we have in Zambia that offer same qualification, will the tax payers money be enough to pay for all students at tertiary institutions in Zambia? These demonstrations should be condemned by all well meaning Zambians

    • Thanks, your comment has answered some questions for me regarding how bursaries work.

    • Silly students breaking property will
      only mean higher fees for those who
      go in future. It is now time to start the
      Loan Scheme at all higher. Learning ins
      titutions to ensure that all State money
      spent on *****s is recovered that is the
      least that can come out of this mess.

  6. The condition in the school were bad ?So they say! Education is about Rioting and
    Damaging your Education home. Forget about ,Learning just drop out .They want it handed to them on a spoon why not clean the place themselfs why wait for goverment
    to do everything for you you got nothing ,and you get nothing .a waste of time! No learning today .YEA!! that’s it don’t get you intellect just keep your attitude.. I love it .Only in Zambia

  7. mr phiri pupils at mpika boys did that and some of the were jailed. jail any stupid student involved and make sure they pay for what they hv destroyed. close the schl for atleast 3 months or 6 so tht any stupid politican insighting them can see the misery he has created on them. let them pay atleast k 2000 each.

  8. Iwe watobelapo nafimbi and you want government to offer you bursary student in zambia it’s hight high time that you cease ignorance to destroy your own properties and you expect good qualities of things muleenda, reach out even europe so that you see how eurps treat thmselves in terms of protest they don’t vandalise things as you do in zambia now say if you destroy where you accomodate urselves or the class you acquire knowledge what do you expect of tomorrow you are a disgrace ubututu muleke, remember your brothers, sisters and your children will be looking forward to have a place at the same vandalised college and as a relative or a parent will be complaining dat the funds ar tu high due to the demand of the school 4getting dat u are the cause, u disabled it and you want gud…

    • Our govt has grown thick skin, has thick tar in the ears that they cannot hear nor feel anything. How many times have pple demonstrated, campaigned or reasoned with them, and they listened?? None… Ok, good! there have been one-man shows, peaceful demos? The govt has not responded. Let me tell u one thing. Students have a lot of things to do and time is so precious to ’em as they have assgmts., exams and momas/mojos to attend to. Riots are just as efficient, effective but just not sustainable (destroys pple’s property) way of getting their msg across to these i.d.i.o.t.s… CONFUSED????

    • ITS NOT ABOUT PEOPLE PROTESTING BUT ITS PROTESTING FOR RIGHT REASONS. HOW CAN GOVERNMENT START GIVING HONE STUDENTS BURSARIES?

  9. Seen that picture before. It was captioned as UNZA students running from Police, not Evelyn Hone students.

  10. Problem solving postponed. I thought the students are crying for the introduction of bursaries and the govt thinks by closing the institution they will silence them. They will come back, pay for the damaged property and still call for bursaries.

    Our govt as usual…treating symptoms instead of the root cause. It’s not that students are stupid I think… they are using the language you understand better. After all, we gave you the money you were crying for (you scraped subsidies on key commodities). Now justify the use of that money. Is education (tertiary?) not one of the sectors you wanted to promote with that money?

  11. Why riot when you basically are located next to a police station bakapoli?Go and destroy the Gabon distaster fimo fimo stadium instead of burning your own houses!Ndimwe badullo zoona! A big lol!

  12. I tried to post sense…moderation…loading…plse wait! I posted something s.t.u.p.i.d, it went thru. Is the moderator/editor in stupor??????????????

  13. Then some people wonder why some countries have infrastructure that has stood a test of time. It is high time we started educating those chaps that destruction of property is no solution. Demonstrating is okay but not resorting to destroying property. In Finland when bus fares are hiked, student protest but peacefully and their views are taken into consideration no wonder their education standards are so high. Protecting our property should be everyone responsibility. What the students do in Zambia during demonstrations is vandalism!

  14. These are the upcoming leaders and builders of this nation? This behaviour does not give hope to any reasonable bright future! Zambia is really a peaciful nation, they even go to break at the Police station. If it where in Egypt they would have just shot at them! In anyway my dear Students lets be mature & learn a non violent way of soving problems. Only non violence can pay to us & the nation at large.

  15. making it to UNZA offers riot-free bursaries… Transfer to UNZA if you can and stop throwing stones destroying the very infrastructure you need

  16. Bwana Minister there no external forces at work….its all internal, deal with it and stop finger pointing.

  17. Few years ago, UNZA used to provide degree for managers and one of the manager I happen to know used to say its difficult to employ a person whom you know as out of character during their times at UNZA or any other college be cause you do not know what you are employing if she / he can be easily influenced by though with no feelings for the future of the individual involved. Destroying properties does not pay but retards the development of the country as a whole. Now they have closed the college who is losing? Definetly students and not those using them. Now they will be looking for transport money and where to live. Trigger happy always brings misery and the end is regret

  18. Its like zambians have just woken from slumber. Every jim and jack think human rights are all about rioting foolishly, insulting the President and all such evil vices. Why this time when they never did the same during mmd a corrupt grz ?Its a pity that todays’ so called students are not worthy to be called students but criminals who have found themselves in a wrong place fighting grz for no reason. Most of them come from very poor families and their families are struggling to keep them at these institutions. It’s not worthy sending a child to uni or college just to go and fight government for no reason. Whilst we agree that human rights should be upheld, there is no political crisis for that. Don’t be used by former pastor and the bitter hyena. Leave school and join politics at your…

  19. I thought Government was looking into ways to introducing bursaries for these students? So they could not wait any longer? Now some students from poor families have to find money for transport back home and in a couple of days money to travel back. You can imagine what some of these poor kids will end up getting into in the next couple of days. Please give up the ring leaders and authorities should deal with them severely, because they are putting undue pressure on already stretched family budgets in poor homes.

  20. PF stop lying to the Zambians.

    On the mentality of the students, the the Govt slap them with heavy fines and they ought to pay for the wrong done. Silly kaponya mentality like the PF govt.

    Where will their children go if they keep breaking school? Silly students

  21. i think we need a new Government in Zambia, these people have
    failed to rule, nothing promising, money is drying up, high inflation
    unnecessary arrests, the President is incognito, threats and intimidation
    is the order of the day

  22. ATI: “YOU KAMBWILI”! LOL Apparently that’s now an insult, if you are found to think like him, you are called that on the streets lol…
    Bus Operator: “Iwe! Iwe! Iwe! You Kambwili!” lol

  23. I was disappointed in 2011.l was at hone talking to the students and all they wanted was pf.l was let down because they were better presid canditats better than sata.next time vote wisely .vote for people who can reason with you not this kaponya we have in govment.

    • Yes reason with those your fellow criminals who will encourage you to break the property you live and get get the education. As this PF govt they will sort you out for breaking and vandalizing public property!

  24. The government of the People and by the People!! Rioting is old Culture!!
    This Generation should be a reasoning Generation! My People perish because of lack of wisdom.

  25. How ironic! I don’t know how many readers will remember that Dr. John Ngwata Phiri, during his brief tenure as President of Unzasu in the 80s, had the university closed due to riots resulting from his actions as president inciting the student populace to demonstrate for some reason i can not clearly remember.

    It is now your turn bwana minister to play your role and address the issues at the institution, just as you wanted the then govt to address your concerns then. How nice, i wish you all the best big John.

  26. Retrogressive behaviour indeed of damaging property! What have the robots and private vehicles parked at Lusaka Central Police have to do with the grievances students were trying to air out. Students learn to be good future leaders not terrorists!

    • She has discovered her PhD wasn’t like she thought now she needs someone to give a good word for her that the Hone diploma becomes valid but hone is closed,she is on the way to Zambia getting her hone diploma before it’s burned to ashes

  27. Let them go back home to wait for 2016 elections, least we will have a strong opposition, like we did in 2011. Welcome home guys.

  28. These dull students must made to pay through their noses. Good that I have no dependent at Horne otherwise I would not pay for him or her for this childish destruction of property.

    Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.

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